What do those who worked with James King say about him?

BLOUNTVILLE — Outgoing interim Northeast State Community College President James King drew praise from students and faculty alike at a recent reception honoring him for 42 years of service to the Tennessee Board of Regents.

But as new President Bethany Flora prepares to take office Jan. 2, what do two folks who have worked closely with him have to say about King?

NSCC FACULTY SENATE PRESIDENT

“Northeast State was at its lowest when Mr. King arrived on campus, and during his short time with us, Northeast State has regained financial stability and employee morale has improved,” said Trish Crawford. “Coming into a challenging situation, Mr. King had to make some tough decisions. He handled those in a respectful manner and then made it a priority to became part of our campus family.”

CHANCELLOR OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS

“James King’s impact on Tennessee education and on more than four decades of students across the state cannot be overstated,” said Flora Tydings.

“He led the transformation of the state’s technical colleges from the vocational-technical schools that they were once known as into the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology that they are today. As the Tennessee Board of Regents’ vice chancellor in charge of the 27 TCATs, he professionalized them and made them a true system for career-technical education. He has also been a national leader in SkillsUSA, helping shape it into the main, dynamic organization for career-technical education students at the local, state and national levels, and in the Council on Occupational Education, the national accreditation agency for technical colleges.

“And over the last 18 months, he has returned Northeast State Community College to sound financial footing, while building strong relationships with faculty and staff and improving services for students. It was a difficult assignment, but James did not hesitate for a moment in accepting it. James King’s leadership has improved lives for hundreds of thousands of students and their families.”